Call2Recycle Canada, GFL partner to expand battery recycling capacity in western Canada

Call2Recycle Canada Inc., Toronto, and Vaughn, Ontario-based GFL Environmental Services have announced an agreement to expand the sorting capacity of end-of-life batteries in western Canada.

The companies say the partnership will allow GFL’s expertise and waste management center in Delta, British Columbia, to support Call2Recycle’s existing battery collection and recycling network and bolster the province’s circular economy sector while reducing the carbon footprint of the recycling supply chain in the region.

 According to Call2Recycle, British Columbians have already worked with it and its network of trusted partners to safely collect, transport and recycle nearly 8 million kilograms (17.6 million pounds) of used batteries in the province since 2010. Call2Recycle says the new partnership will effectively double the used battery sorting capacity and significantly enhance the battery recycling ecosystem, offering new opportunities to increase battery collection volume throughout all of Western Canada.

“We are excited to expand our relationship with GFL Environmental Services and leverage their considerable expertise and presence in British Columbia,” Call2Recycle Canada President Joe Zenobio says. “We share a common vision of offering efficient and sustainable battery disposal solutions to all Canadians.

“Access to the Delta waste management center means that we will be able to better fulfill our mission of safely collecting and recycling as many batteries as possible, supporting BC’s local economy and environmental commitment,” he adds.

Call2Recycle says the partnership comes as part of its commitment to expand its battery collection and recycling network across Canada through its continued open-supplier strategy. According to the organization, sorting is an essential phase of the scrap collection and recycling process, in this case ensuring that the used batteries are properly separated and that the recycling streams do not contain mixed chemistries. This allows the used batteries stream to be safely recycled through appropriate methods, ensuring the highest quality output and reducing the overall environmental footprint.

The organization says it has a 25-year history with almost 40 million kilograms (88 million pounds) of batteries collected and recycled, including over 850,000 kilograms (1.9 million pounds) in British Columbia in 2021, the highest total in the province’s history.